Well y’all, it’s June and it’s heating up out there. If you live in a humid climate, like me, things are really starting to feel miserable. Running in the heat and humidity can be a challenge, and can even get dangerous if you don’t take a few precautions and learn how to do it right.
Hydration
It might seem obvious, when it’s hot you need to stay hydrated. What might not be obvious though, is how to do it right. I always talk about runners being obsessed with poop, but the other thing is…how often do you look at your pee?
Making sure you are properly hydrated BEFORE you head out on a hot day is important. If you do your business and the bowl isn’t looking like the two guys on the right in this pic, you’re better off drinking water for a bit and delaying your run. If you ever look like that last guy, well…personally I’d head straight to the doc but that’s just me. The xx over the eyes really seal the deal as far as I’m concerned.
It’s important to stay hydrated while you’re running, too. Personally, I take water with me almost always, aside from a select few days of the year where the weather is perfect and I’m doing a real short run. For runs under 6 miles ish, I use a handheld bottle like this. Longer than that and I opt for my Camelbak. If running with liquid isn’t your thing, you can always plan water stops along your route, or hide a bottle nearby but make sure to drink something.
When it’s super hot and nasty, I also add electrolytes. I’m a fan of Tailwind but use whatever floats your boat, as long as you’re getting some electrolytes. When it’s SUPER super hot? If you gotta run you might consider salt tablets. When I ran the Disney marathon this year and it was 85 degrees in January? Yeah I needed it. You sweat out lots of salty stuff and running with water alone can be dangerous, particularly for women.
Humidity
Ooof this one sucks. I live in the Charleston area and let me tell you, sometimes just walking out the door can be brutal. You’re drenched by the time you get off the porch!
The danger with running in the heat and humidity is that not only does it make make breathing a chore, but it also keeps sweat from evaporating and you run the risk of over heating. If you ever notice you’ve stopped sweating altogether on a run? Seek shade until you cool off!
If you ever get to the point where you aren’t sweating, have a headache, feel confused, have a racing heart rate, are nauseated, etc stop right away, cool down, and call for help. Heat stroke is nothing to mess with, friends.
Time of day and route
During the summer months, consider adjusting your running schedule to run early in the morning, or later in the evening to avoid the intense heat and sun of mid day. I’m an early bird, so for long runs I like to start before the sun comes up, when possible, to avoid the sun as long as I can.
I also try and pick routes that I know have a lot of shade. Running for prolonged periods in the direct sun is really draining and can be dangerous. Sometimes I like to run near the water to get a nice breeze, but I recognize that’s not possible for a lot of folks. Maybe have someone do a drive by and give you a nice spritz from the car. Hahaha, only partly kidding.
Clothing
Dress for the weather. Make sure you’ve got breathable, moisture wicking fabrics that are light weight and light in color. I love my black running gear, but in the summer I try and opt for something lighter, at least on top when I can.
Keeping the sun off of your face and out of your eyes is important too, with sunglasses, or a hat/visor. Visors are typically recommended, as hats tend to trap heat in, not letting your head “breathe”, but I honestly hate them. I don’t hate them on other people, I just can’t wear them myself. So, I opt for hats but try to go with ones that are either mesh on top/back or super breathable fabric.
Sunscreen
Keeping yourself safe from the sun’s rays is important all the time, but especially in the summer. Also especially if your skin is like mine and has…alabaster tendencies. Summer running pretty much has me greased up from head to toe.
I’m still on a quest for a perfect sport sunscreen that doesn’t get into your eyes, so more on that later. If you have one that you love, let me know!
Pace
Slow down. This is a hard one for a lot of people, particularly new runners, to stomach. I’ve written a lot about how pace does not solely determine your success and should not be your source of self esteem. In the summer months? You can almost throw high expectations out the window.
A lot of Googling will tell you to expect at least a 20-30 second slower pace in the heat. Don’t take that too literally, as humidity and other factors can slow you down even more. You may find yourself 90 seconds slower than your usual pace and that’s ok. Focus on getting in the miles and building endurance in the summer and save the super duper speed work for cooler temps.
Well friends, there you have it. Follow these guidelines to keep yourself safe and happy this summer, running in the heat and humidity. Even if you live in a dry heat, they still apply, you lucky dogs.
[…] way, can we talk about keeping sweat and sunscreen out of the eyes? Oof. I’ve written about surviving summer running, but have really been struggling with the […]